This invention relates to traffic management systems, and more particularly, a surface operation advisory system and specifically to an integrated surface moving map advisory system for use in controlled, traffic management systems such as those at ground control operations at airports.
A variety of apparatus and methods are known and in use in the control of surface operations at airports. Typical airport operations consist of a combination of runways, taxiways, and tarmac areas that support safe and efficient airport operation. Active runway management is generally under separate control from taxiway and tarmac operations. At major airports that serve dozens of daily flights a plurality of active runways and numerous taxiways may have to be traversed when maneuvering an aircraft from a parked location to its departure runway, and similarly upon landing an aircraft on an active runway and subsequently taxing to an assigned parking location. During high traffic times inefficient ground operations can significantly affect the departure and arrival activity by all user aircraft. Additionally, significant safety issues are present when numerous aircraft are operating in a relatively confined area under time constraints. This situation can be even more challenging when poor visibility exists because of meteorological conditions, twilight or nighttime operations, obscuration of signage and ground paint marking, unfamiliarity by aircraft operators of the airport layout, or other relevant factors. Additionally, local markers which provide visual guidance have inherent limitations with respect to the viewing angle by a pilot, dependent upon any given aircraft size and windshield design.
Existing systems address the needs of airport ground operations through a combination of verbal communications from ground control to aircraft operators that have on-board detailed diagrams of the airport layout and the use of datalinks. Such on-board diagrams may be either paper products or electronically displayed information that typically contain highly detailed depictions of the airport operating area. In order to quickly and effectively utilize such on-board diagrams a cockpit crew member must direct his visual focus from outside the aircraft to the schematic aid inside the cockpit, orient the instantaneous location of the aircraft, and interpret the movement authority offered by the controller as expeditiously as possible. Accordingly, there are frequent instances of delays in the movement of aircraft on the ground while the flight crew interprets controller instructions, the present aircraft location and the authorized path to the desired destination. Additionally, it is not uncommon for aircraft operating on the ground to unintentionally deviate from an assigned route of travel and/or to fail to observe all interim holds or stops between its point of origin and final surface destination.
Head Up Displays (HUDs) are well known in the aviation industry and are actively used during certain flight operations to convey aircraft performance and flight critical information without requiring a pilot to divert attention from outside the aircraft. A typical HUD includes a transparent display, within the pilot""s typical forward view that includes a variety of symbols and numbers to assist flight operations. A HUD based surface guidance system, such as described in pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/602,352, addresses aircraft airport surface operations from the perspective of the instantaneous operation of the aircraft with a view outside the cockpit, but is lacking with respect to in-depth route planning, general airport surface information or additional traffic or ground operation considerations.
Modern aircraft operating with updated avionics may contain a variety of precise position location systems, including satellite based location systems such as the Global Positioning System and terrestrial based systems, such as LORAN that in conjunction with widely available computer processing capability can readily provide present location with respect to the earth""s surface. Such systems can be enhanced with the inclusion of additional correction signals, as found in a Differential GPS system that provide increased position determination accuracy, or by the inclusion of electronic geographic databases. Additionally, aircraft that include flight management systems and one or more electronic displays may be configured to provide aircraft position and situational awareness information to the aircraft flight crew.
Although studies have been undertaken for an improved ground operation system that would incorporate existing displays, such proposed systems lack intuitive and simplified characteristics that can provide timely and relevant information, while simultaneously integrating known surface features and varying traffic operation considerations to support safe and efficient runway occupancy and ground movement airport operations.
The present invention relates to an integrated surface moving map advisory system configured for use in ground, approach, or takeoffoperations. A head down display (HDD) system is disclosed which comprises a signal processor including a symbol generator, a controller for inputting movement authority by the flight crew and access to an electronic geographical database comprising critical geo-location information of multiple airport layouts, including but not limited to runways, taxiways, run-up, parking and permanent structure locations, that in combination monitor location of the vehicle with respect to a given reference system, such as the earth""s surface and provide guidance with respect both to desired present location and eventual destination. The guidance information contains generated symbols that are presented to the flight crew, in selectable fashion for viewing on the HDD. The HDD may depict, at any one time, the entire airport operating area or selected segments relevant to the aircraft""s intended route of travel or phase of flight. Selecting varied amounts of information to be symbolically represented in a manner consistent with airborne routing information based on selected display range provides the flight crew with additional guidance and surface detail information, as determined appropriate by the flight crew. When operating in a region with vehicles equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillancexe2x80x94Broadcast (ADSxe2x80x94B) equipment and when the aircraft has cockpit display of traffic information capability of such ADSxe2x80x94B traffic information and is equipped to receive such ADSxe2x80x94B information, the movement of all participating ADSxe2x80x94B local traffic may be overlaid on the HDD ground routing schematic to enhance ground movement of the aircraft.
It is an object of the present invention to improve airport-operating efficiency and improve runway occupancy awareness.
It is a feature of the present invention to incorporate ground traffic clearance information to the flight crew operating an aircraft on the ground between departure or arrival runways and ultimate parking location.
It is an advantage of the present invention that aircraft utilizing such a surface operation control system minimize movement delays due to clearance confusion, blocked or obscured flight crew view of the adjacent and approaching aircraft ground track, or unfamiliarity with local conditions.
It is an additional advantage of the present invention that aircraft utilizing such a surface operation control system increases safety due to increased runway occupancy awareness on approach or departure.